Courtship…plus CSA & Mkt 10.01.2016

Finding the right match between a CSA member and a farm is a type of courtship. It is a process of finding the compatible community members with a particular farm…based on both vegetables and personality. The right match for us is someone who values and enjoys the type of vegetables that we grow…and also has the desire to engage with a local farmer like us. Through bounty and delicious meals, through pests, through drought, and through destructive rain.
We’ll be opening up our CSA sign up for 2017 soon, but we are in a vulnerable place right now. We were managing well enough through the drought conditions – it was challenging but we were managing. We are prepared to manage drought. Now the drought was broken with a week and a half of almost continual rain. Our plants are suffering. There is more significant rain in the forecast for tonight, and potentially a hurricane next week.

We woke up this morning grateful that beds of vegetables didn’t wash away in the rain. The rain was strong enough last night that we were a bit worried. We’ve planted more than ever this fall and we’d really like to harvest what we have planted.(this photo is from a couple of days ago…before the latest 4 inches of rain)
We are so grateful for our steadfast CSA members who have chosen us in this farmer-courtship-dance. Thank you for trusting us and for your allegiance during the challenging times. Thank you to our regular and committed customers who stay close, connected, and value what we grow. We love you!

This weekend’s Farm Share will most likely include:Salad Mix, Arugula, Hearty Greens Mix, Green Beans, Broccoli, Turnips, Sweet Peppers, and Tomatoes.
Also at each pick up location: Optional Collards & Shishito Peppers (mild roasting peppers….a favorite of all ages in our family!) for those that would like.

This is for our Farm Share CSA members who pick up:
~ on Saturday @ the Farmers Market @ St. Stephen’s
~ on Saturday @ the Brandermill Green Market
~ on Monday @ Summer Lake

Notes:
* Our broccoli has really been ravaged by disease. We have never seen this before! We anticipate we’ll have half the harvest that we planned for. This likely means broccoli for not as many weeks as we had planned in the Farm Share.
* This rain has damaged our tomato plants significantly. We are giving Farm Share members the best of them and as many as we can.

Coming up in the next couple of week….Cabbage (three different types) and Fennel!
Recipe Suggestions…also cataloged on our Recipe Page and Pinterest PageSummer Squash/Zucchini Pizza PlanksBanana Zucchini Overnight OatsRoasted Broccoli with Parmesan(this is our favorite way to enjoy broccoli but you can also simply steam it, saute it, or enjoy it raw on salad) NOTE Re: OUR BROCCOLI: It really shows the organic nature of our farm, as worms are commonly hiding in the florets. You can a) ignore them, or b) Cut the broccoli and soak in a bowl of salt water for about 5 minutes before using it. Worms will drop out of the florets and sink to the bottom of the bowl. Also, we include some of the broccoli greens with our broccoli heads. You can use them like kale and cook them, or you can put them in your smoothie.Radishes: Enjoy them raw on salad, or sliced and topped with good butter and a sprinkle of salt. Or make Radish Cream Cheese Dip (we simplify this recipe and use just radishes, cream cheese, and salt) or serve them as Radishes with Creamy RicottaTurnips: These are our the vegetable most-often requested by area chefs. Make Garlicky Turnip Puree, which combines them with Potatoes, or you can omit the potatoes.Hearty Greens Mix: A lot of people call this our “Smoothie Greens Mix.” Accordingly, add it to your smoothies, or slice it ribbon-thin and make a salad like Winter Salad with Ginger Dressing, using our Hearty Greens Mix in place of the kale. We also love these greens in this Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Pecans. It calls for Goat Cheese but we have also enjoyed it made with Cheddar or Asiago.
Collards: In general, treat this hearty green like Kale. It is thicker than kale, making it a really satisfying cooked green, especially with bacon…see Paula Deen’s Collard Recipe. Or use it to wrap a “sandwich” in these Rainbow Veggie Collard Wraps. Or enjoy them warm as Collard Green Wrapped Bean Burritos.Arugula: We think you should eat it on top of Pizza, as called for in Arugula Prosciutto Pizza or White Pizza with Arugula. Arugula also shines in a salad when paired with some sweetness and dairy, like fruit and goat cheese or other comparable combination. Try Pear, Arugula, and Pancetta Salad. (And if you are looking for incredibly delicious pears, try the Asian Pears at the Agriberry booth at both the Brandermill Green Market and St. Stephen’s Farmers’ Market this Saturday.)